Weft-replenishing mechanism for looms.



V Patented luly l6, IQOL- H. l. HABRHWAN.

WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LODIWS.

No. 678,78l.

(Application filed Oct 8, 1900.) (N0 Model.)

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4 Sheets-Sheet ml Inventors Avi H. I. HARRIMAN. WEFT REPL ENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOUWIS.

IApplication filed Oct. 8, 1900., (No Model.)

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No. 678,78I. Patented luly I6, I90! H. l. HARRIMAN.

WEFT BEPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

(Application filed Oct. 8, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheetv-Sheet 4.

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HENRY I. HARRIMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WEFT-REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOIVIS.

SPEQIFI'UATlQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,781, dated July 16, 1901.

Application filed October 8, 1900. Serial No. 32,351. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY I. HARRIMAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New the working shuttle on the lay or on exhaustion thereof to a predetermined extent or on loss of continuity of such weft or filling-thej action of the replenishing instrumentalitiesi being brought about or instituted through the agency of suitable forms of weft indicator mechanism. In some types of looms of the said class the replenishment is effected by discharging or removing the spent or failed working shuttle from the lay and bringing a fresh or reserve shuttle into action in lieu thereof.

In many kinds of weaving the pattern of the goods being produced necessitates change of weft from time to time, and this is brought about in practice by the use of various arrangements of shuttle changing or shifting shuttle-box mechanism.

The aim in general of the invention is to produce weft-changing instrumentalitics fitted for use either for automatic weft replenishment or for pattern-Weaving, and which shall be of simple character and construction, direct and reliable in action, free from liability to injury or derangement, capable of being employed in connection with high-speed looms, and adapted to be applied with a minimum of labor and fitting to existing looms of various types and builds now in use.

The invention comprises in the main a defleeting device by means of which to divert the spent or failed working shuttle from the lay during its flight; means of directing, confining, and checking the escaping shuttle; a receptacle for the discharged shuttles; a hopper for reserve shuttles arranged in position to deliver the latter successively to the action of the shuttle-driving mechanism; escapement devices by means of which to control the transfer of the successive reserve shuttles from the hopper; means to retract the shuttle hinder or swell and also the pickerstiok and picker, so that they will not obstruct the movement of the reserve shuttle which is about to come into position for work ing, and mechanism under operative control of weft-indicator or other action-dictating or master mechanism whereby the foregoing instrumentalities are brought into action at the required time and in the necessary sequence to secure the performance of the operations which are incident to effecting a change of shuttle during the running of the loom to which the invention is applied.

The combinations, &c., in which the invention resides are particularly pointed out in the claims at the close of this specification.

The invention is capable of being embodied in difierent forms, and, moreover, the form, construction, and relation of the various necessary parts and the manner of supporting, &c. the same will vary somewhat to meet the varying requirements of practice and suit the different builds of looms to which it is desired to apply the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a loom having applied thereto one embodiment of the invention, only so much of the loom being illustrated as is required for the purpose of making clear the relations, &c., of the invention. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a View from the rear showing the parts which are represented in Fig. 1, only one end of the loom being shown and the loom-frame being in vertical section. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, shows in plan certain parts at the end of the loom. Fig. 4, Sheet 3, shows in front elevation portions of the loom-frame and lay and certain parts which are applied thereto. Fig. 5, Sheet 3, shows the same in plan. Fig. 6, Sheet 4, is an elevation of the loom at the end opposite that which is represented in Fig. 1, showing chieflya well-known form of weft-indicator mechanism which is adapted to be employed for instituting the action of the shuttle-changing mechanism for the purpose of automatically effecting weft replenishment. Fig. 7 is a view of the swell or hinder.

the front of the lay-beam d.

Having reference to the drawings, a a designate the opposite end frames of a loom, and a the breast-beam.

'b is the crank-shaft, and c the cam-shaft.

d is the lay-beam, and d d are the layswords.

g, Figs. 1 and 2, is a picker-stick, and g a picker applied thereto.

The device for deflecting or diverting the working shuttle on the lay when it is desired that the same should be replaced in action by a fresh or reserve shuttle is shown bestin Figs. 1, 4, and 5. The said device consists, essentially, of a switch which normally stands clear of the path ofthe movement of the working. shuttle on the lay, but is movably mounted and is combined with means for controlling the position thereof, whereby at the required; time it is caused to intersect the path of the moving shuttle as its fiies from one end of theshuttle-race to the other and to divert the said shuttle from the said shuttle-race. Herein the said switch is pivoted upon the lay, and in the present form of the invention the pivot is located at the front of the shuttle.

race, the switch standing normally in front of theline of movement of the shuttle. When The switch is designated h, and its pivot is shown at 71., Figs. 1 and 5, the said pivot being applied to a lug or bracket 71 Fig. 1, on The normal or inoperative position of,the switch is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, while the full-line position of the said switch is the one in which it extends across the path of the moving shuttle, so as to enable it to act to divert the said shuttle forwardly toward the breast-beam. For the purpose of directing the shuttle as it flies forward in the loom after having been diverted by the switch from the shuttle-race I provide a guide 2', extending obliquely forward and outward from the switch. This guide t herein is mounted 011 the front of the lay. It leads to an opening in a casing 7c, which is suitably mounted at the end of the breast-beam c For the purpose of confining the shuttle in its course from the shuttlerace to the casing is the switch h and guided preferably are made tubular, as shown, and the shuttle travels through the interior passages thereof. This construction of the switch and-guide effectually prevents the shuttle from following any other than the predetermined course. For the purpose of checking the flight of the discharging shuttle within the guidet' the latter is made to incline or emsi upon the moving shuttle, and therebylesseriing its Velocity, the said guide is lined with leather, as at t", Fig. 5. The shuttle enters the casing is deprived of a considerable portion of its velocity and momentum. For the purpose of arresting the endwise movement of the shuttle after it has entered the casing it I provide within the said casing, in position to receive the advancing tip of the shuttle, a block or pad of suitable material-such, for instance, as soft n1etal---although in practice any of the usual forms of picker-checks or even an ordinary loom-picker may be employed. At the back of the casing is a deflecting-wall 70 which guides the shuttle to the impact-block 70. Within the casing also is a downwardly and rearwardly inclined shelf 7& which is madelfast to the front wall of the casing. To the free edge of this shelf is applied a flap 70 of leather or the like, which practically closes the opening next the rear wall of the casing. The shuttle after its onward movement has been stopped by its impact against the block 70 drops upon the said shelf 70 and slides down the same, passing between the fiap and the rear wall of the casing, and then falls lightly to the bottom of the casing. tle as'it drops. The said flap may, if desired, be supported by strip-springs, as 76', projecting from the shelf 70 so as to increase the stiffness and elasticity of the flap. The described arrangement guards against injury to the shuttle after its arrival in the casing,

the momentum of the shuttle being destroyed The yielding flap k checksthe shut and it being caused to fall to the bottom It of the casing 70 without injury to itself. As the shuttle travels from guide t toward impact-block it it moves in a downwardly-inclined direction endwise, and consequently cannot rebound from the said impact-block into the said guide.

The shelf k inclines downwardly toward its outer end, so that the shuttle in falling, after striking the im pact-block 7t, shall strike upon the upper surface of the said shelf flatly throughout the length of the shuttle.

The bottom k of the casing 70 inclines toward the front, as shown in Fig. 1, so that after the shuttle reaches the same in falling past the flexible flap 7.5 it shallslide toward the front of the casing out of the way of a succeedin g shuttle. 4

In the front of the casing 70 is an opening 10 through which the shuttles within the easing may be removed by hand.

The forward end of the guide 71 projects within the casing 70, so by the overlapping of the parts to avoid the existence of any gap which might resultin accident in connection with the moving shuttle. The casing k constitutes a receptacle for the discharged shuttles. It is independent of the lay in order that thelatter may be relieved of the weight of the discharged shuttles and also in order that the latter may be made readily accessible by the attendant for all necessary purposes, such as rethreading, filling with fresh weft, &c., and subsequently replacing in the hopper carried by the lay.

The hopper containing the fresh or reserve shuttles preferably is connected or combined with the lay, so as to move in unison with the latter. Herein it is shown applied to the lay. The front and back of the hopper are shown at Z 1, respectively, and at Z is shown a guide with which the tips at the outer ends of the shuttles make contact. The said guide and others, as Z 1 projecting upward from the rear wall Z of the hopper, serve to direct additional shuttles in being placed by hand or otherwise within the hopper, which ordinarily will be effected while the loom is running at full speed. In. the present embodiment of the invention the hopper is directly above the shuttle-box, so that when the shutties contained within the said hopper are permitted to descend the bottom one thereof passes directly into the working space of the shutt1e-box on the lay.

The escapement comprises, essentially, the upper pair of fingers m m, the lower pair of fingers m m, the arms m m in operative connection with the said fingers m m, and the rock-shaft m to which the said arms are attached. The said rock-shaft m is mounted in bearings m m at the back of the hopper. The arms m m with which the escapementfingers m m are connected are double-21 6., extend in opposite directions from the rockshaft, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2the' fingers on m being connected therewith above the rock-shaft m and the fingers m m being connected therewith below the said rockshaft, so that the two sets of escapement-fingers shall move simultaneously in opposite directions when the rock-shaft is actuated. The connection between the fingers m m and arms on is effected by means of pins on the arms working in slots that are provided in the fingers, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

The swell or hinder pertaining to the shuttie-box below the hopper is shown at It herein is pivoted to the lay at its outer end, as shown at n, Fig. 2. The usual protectorfinger is shown at 91 and the crank end of the usual protector-shaft is shown at 71 Various arrangements may be adopted in practies for the purpose of withdrawing the swell or binder n, at the proper time to clear the way for the descent of a fresh or reserve shuttle from the hopper intothe working space of the. shuttlebox. In the present instance I have shown a tension-spring 0, connected with the said swell or binder and also with a bracket 0, fixed to the rear of the lay, the said tension-spring 0 acting always with a tendency to retract the swell or binder, but being weaker than the usual spring pertaining to the protector mechanismand employed in connection with the protector shaft, and hence being ineffective to occasion the retraction of the swell or hinder except when the force of the said spring pertaining to the protector mechanism is taken off the swell or binder. For the purpose of taking the pressure of the spring pertaining to the protector mechanism off the swell or binder n at the proper time I provide a rocker, as p, the same being hung on a bracket, as 13, attached to the under side of the lay-beam or otherwise conveniently applied to the latter, the said rocker p having an arm that is disposed in position to make contact with an arm 19 projecting from the crank-arm n For convenience the said arm 19 may, if desired, be formed integral with the sleeve or hub of the protector-finger 02 The downward pressure of the said rocker p upon the arm 19 will rock the protector mechanism and swing the protector-tinger n thereby leaving the swell or hinder n free to move rearwardly under stress of the tension-spring o.

For the purpose of carrying the picker g and picker-stick g outwardly, so as to cause them to clear the path of the adjacent tip of the shuttle, which is about to descend from the hopper into the working space of the shuttle-box, I provide the said rocker p with an arm 23 which projects into position to engage with the picker-stick. When the rocker is moved, in addition to occasioning the backward movement of the protector-finger, so as to release the swell or hinder n to the action of the retracting-spring 0, it acts also to push the picker-stick g and picker g outwardly. The rocker 13 does not interfere with the action of the picker-stick during the regular working of the loom. It operates to press the picker-stick outwardly only when movement is communicated to the rocker for the purpose of retracting the swell or binder and the picker-stick and picker. At other times the picker-stick is left free to work as usual. This enables it to occupy, as customary, a slightly-advanced position to receive the blow of the shuttle as the latter completes its flight in entering the shuttle-box.

For the purpose of actuating the various instrumentalities which have been described thus far I employ a rotating cam, as q, the same being shown herein fixed upon the camshaft 0, and in addition thereto a train of transmitting connections extending to the said instrumentalities. Abreak in the operative relations among the parts is arranged to exist at one point, so that ordinarily the special instrumentalities which have been described shall remain inoperative. Herein I have shown a lever r employed in conjunction with the said rotating cam q, the break in operative relations being provided for in the present instance between the said cam and the said lever. The lever "1' is shown mounted with capacity for transverse move ment relatively to the acting face of the cam q, so as to enable the said lever to be shifted into and out of position for being actuated by the said cam. Thus, having reference to Figs. 1 and 2 more especially, the upper end of the lever r isforked to fit'a block T, which is mounted upon a pivot r applied to the loom side a. The lever and block are adapted to swing conjointly in a plane parallel with the loom side, while the pivots r W, which connect the lever with the block, are arranged to permit the lever to swing upon the block transversely with relation to the loom side. It is this transverse movement which carries the pin or roller r on the lever 1- into and out of the path of rotation of the acting face of the cam q.

Various means may be employed in practice for swinging the lever r transversely relatively to the cam g when required. I have shown herein a rod 8, provided at its rear end with a plate 3', in which is a longitudinal slot 5 Fig. 3, receiving the upper portion of the lever 1', and a diagonal slot 8 receiving a pin 8 fixed to a bracket .9 that is attached to the loom side. The lever is capable of movement within the said longitudinal slot 5 in the direction of the length of the latter; but when plate 5 is moved laterally or transversely in the loom the lever r is compelled to move in the latter direction in unison with said plate. When the rod 3 is moved lengthwise, the action of the fixed or stationary pin 6 upon the sides of the inclined slot .9 causes the plate and rear end of the rod to move transversely with reference to the loom side toward or from the latter, according to the direction in which the rod 5 is moved. When, therefore, the rod is moved in one direction, the lever 1- will be swung into position to be acted upon by the cam q, and this will bring about the working of the special devices which have been described. When the rod sis moved in the other direction, the lever will be shifted out of the range of action of the cam and the said devices will remain at rest.

I have herein shown (see Fig. 6) the rod 5 arranged to be actuated under the control of weft-indicator mechanism and for the purposes of' the illustration have chosen a wellknown form of weft-indicator mechanism, comprising a weft-fork t, a slide i, on which the said weft-fork is pivoted in the customary manner, the said slide being supported an ways 15 on the breast-beam (t as heretofore, a weft-hammer or gooseneck f and an actuating-cam t forthe said weft-hammerorgooseneck, the said cam being fast upon the camshaft 0.

t designates an arm or finger arranged, as usual, in front of the slide of the weft-fork and fast on the ordinary rod or rock-shaft t, extending crosswise of the loom just beneath the breast-beam (L The said rock-shaft t has fast thereon the arm 6 with which the forward end of the rod 5 is connected. When the weft-hammer or gooseneck is permitted by the failure or absence of weft to engage with the hook or tail of the weft-fork, and is therefore enabled to thrust the slide 25 forward, the rocking of the rock-shaft 25 and the resulting rearward movement of the rod 8 occasion the bringing of the lever r within the path of rotation of the acting face of the cam q.

As a convenient means of actuating the various parts from the lever r I employ in the present instance a connection 11., extending from a horizontal projection r on the said lever and joined to a rod u, that is connected to an arm 19 of the rocker p, and a second connection a that extends from the said projection r of the lever to a rod ed, that is joined to a forwardly-projecting arm m on the rock-shaftm The said rod u extends up at the rear side of the rock-shaft m and is arched at its upper end to reach over the top of the said rock-shaft and connect with the said forwardly-extending arm m The connections u and a are made flexible in part to enable them to pass around guide-sheaves n adjacent the lay rock-shaft o. A spring w, having one end thereof connected with the rod a and the other end with the lay-beam, acts upon the said rod u in opposition to the cam q and serves to return the rock-shaft m and parts connected therewith to their normal position after the cam g has acted. For the purpose of actuating the switch h from the rock-shaft m I attach to the inner end of the said rock-shaft an arm m This arm I connect by a bent rod m with the switch h. I form or provide the swell or binder at its free inner end with a lip or flange n to project over the shuttle as it enters the shuttle-box at the end of its flight along the shuttle-race from the other side of the loom and prevent upward movement of the said shuttle.

I claim as my invention 1. In a loom, in combination, the lay, a reserve-shuttle holder, means to cause a reserve shuttle to assume working position on the lay, a switch to divert the working shuttle from the shuttle-race on the lay, a receptacle for the discharged shuttle supported independent of the lay, and a passage-way confining the shuttle from the switch until it has passed into the receptacle.

2. In a loom, in combination, the lay, a switch movableinto position to divert the working shuttle from the shuttle-race, a receptacle for the discharged shuttles, and a passageway-between the switch and receptacle lined with frictional material to retard the discharging-shuttle on its way to'the receptacle.

3. In a loom, in combination, the lay, a switch movable into position to divert the working shuttle from the shuttle-race, and a receptacle to receive the diverted shuttle, provided with a stop to arrest the endwise movement of said shuttle, and with an inclined shelf to break the fall thereof.

4. In a loom, in combination, the lay, a switch movable into position to divert the working shuttle from the shuttle-race, and a receptacle to receive the diverted shuttle, provided with a stop to arrest the endwise movement of said shuttle, and with an inclined shelf. having a yielding flap bridging the space between the same and a wall of the receptacle.

5. In a loom, in combination, the lay, a switch movable into position to divert the working shuttle from the shuttle-race, a receptacle to receive the diverted shuttle, provided with a stop to arrest the endwise move ment of said shuttle, and with an inclined shelf to break the fall thereof, the said receptacle having the bottom thereof inclined as set forth to cause the sh nttles to slide out of the Way of a succeeding shuttle.

6. In a loom, in combination, the lay, a hopper for reserve shuttles, escapement devices for said shuttles, a switch movable into position to divert the working shuttle from the shuttle-race, the picker-stick, a pressback device for the picker-stick, and actuat ing devices for the operative parts.

7. In a loom, in combination, the lay, a hopper for reserve shuttles, escapement devices for said shuttles, a switch movable into position to divert the working shuttle from the shuttle-race, a picker-stick, a rocker to act on said picker-stick, and means to actuate said rocker to force back the picker-stick to clear the path of a reserve shuttle being fed into the shnttle-box.

S. In a loom, in combination, the lay, a hopper for reserve shuttles, escapement devices for said shuttles, a switch to divert the working shuttle from the shuttle-race, the pickerstick, the swell or binder, retracting means for said swell or binder, means to apply pressure to the swell or hinder, a pressback device for the picker-stick, and means to operate said switch and escapement devices, to thereby occasion a change of shuttles, and to relieve said pressure and operate said press-back device, to clear the shuttleboX for the entrance of the newly-fed shuttle into the same.

9. In a loom, in combination, the lay, a

hopper for reserve shuttles escapement devices for said shuttles, a switch to divert the working shuttle from the shuttle-race, a lever operatively connected with said escapement devices and switch, a rotating cam, and means for effecting a relative shift of the said lever and cam to place the same in operative relations with each other, to thereby occasion a change of shuttles.

10. In a loom, in combination, the lay, a hopper for reserve shuttles, escapement devices for said shuttles, a switch to divert the working shuttle from the sh uttle race, the swell or binder, the protector-finger, means to retract the swell or binder, the pickerstick, a rocker acting in connection with the picker-stick and protector-finger, an operating-lever connected with said rocker and escapement devices and switch, a rotating cam, and means for effecting a relative shift of the said lever and cam to place the same in operative relation with each other, to thereby occasion a change of shuttles.

11. In a loom, in combination, a reserveshuttle receptacle, a reserve-shuttle escapement, the lay, a switch to divert-the working shuttle, a cam and means operated thereby to work the said escapement and switch, and weft-indicator devices in control of the action of the parts, substantially as describe-d.

12. In a loom, in combination, a reserveshuttle receptacle, a reserve-shuttle feed, the lay, a switch to divert the working shuttle, a rotary cam and means operated thereby to work the shuttle feed and switch, and weftindicator devices in control of the action of the parts, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY I. IIARRIMAN,

Witnesses:

LEPINE HALL RICE, OHAs. F. RANDALL. 

